Venues of the 1996 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
For the 1996 Summer Olympics
, a total of twenty-nine sports venues were used. Several sports venues for the 1996 Olympics were built before the 1960s as college venues. The first professional teams in Atlanta came in 1966 with the MLB Braves and the NFL Falcons. In 1968, the Hawks came into Atlanta from St. Louis and had their venue at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Georgia Tech's campus before moving into the Omni Coliseum in 1972 with the NHL Flames. The Flames left for Calgary following the 1979-80 season. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium hosted the Falcons from 1966 to 1991 before moving to the Georgia Dome in 1992 though the Braves remained at the stadium from 1966 to 1996. In 1990, Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Olympics. Seventy-five percent of the venues used for the 1996 Games were owned by the state of Georgia. One of the new venues, the Georgia International Horse Park, had organization issues for the modern pentathlon event that included the modern pentathletes being forced to sit under a oak tree during the riding part of the event. The Georgia World Congress Center hosted the dramatic weightlifting 64 kg event that involved national tensions between Greece and Turkey. After the Olympics, Olympic Stadium was converted into a baseball park known as Turner Field which opened up in 1997. That same year, both Atlanta Fulton County Stadium and the Omni Coliseum were imploded. The Omni was replaced by Philips Arena which opened in 1999 while the area known as Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium is now a parking lot near Turner Field.
Before professional sports came into Atlanta and the Southern United States
in the 1960s, college sports were followed in a manner similar to that of professional sports in the New England
, Mid-Atlantic
, and Midwestern part of the United States
. The oldest of the venues in the South used for the 1996 Games was Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama
which was opened in 1926 and used from 1948 to 1988 for the Iron Bowl
college football
rivalry between Auburn University
and the University of Alabama
, a game that now alternates between the two schools' on-campus stadiums. Legion Field hosted the SEC Championship Game
for the first two seasons of 1992
and 1993
before the venue moved to Atlanta and the Georgia Dome in 1994
where it has remained as of 2010
. Three years after Legion Field was completed, Sanford Stadium opened on the University of Georgia
campus in Athens
and has undergone several expansions since its opening. The Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida
opened in 1936 and has undergone several expansions of its own. In Miami the following year, the Orange Bowl (known as Burdine Stadium until 1959) opened. Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the Georgia Institute of Technology
(Georgia Tech) campus opened in 1956.
In 1961, the District of Columbia Stadium
opened in Washington, D.C.
with the National Football League
(NFL) Washington Redskins
losing 24-21 to the New York Giants
. The Stadium (renamed as Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium in 1969 in honor of Robert F. Kennedy
who had been assassinated
the previous June) served as home to the second Washington Senators
Major League Baseball
(MLB) team from 1961
to 1971
when they moved to the Dallas, Texas
area the following year
and were renamed the Texas Rangers
which they have been known as of 2010 (The first Senators team
were in Washington from 1901
to 1960
before relocating to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1961 and being renamed the Minnesota Twins
where they have been known as of 2010.).
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta Stadium: 1965-76) opened on April 12, 1966 with the Braves
MLB franchise debuting
following their move from Milwaukee, Wisconsin after the 1965 season
with a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates
. That same year
in the NFL, the expansion Atlanta Falcons
debuted with a 19-14 loss to the Los Angeles (now St. Louis) Rams
. Fulton County Stadium (known locally) would serve as host to the Peach (now Chick-fil-A) Bowl
from 1971 to 1991 before moving to the Georgia Dome where it has remained as of 2010. In baseball, Fulton County Stadium hosted the 1972 MLB All-Star Game
. The Stadium would host three World Series
in the 1990s before the Olympics, losing twice (1991
to the Twins in seven games and 1992
to the Toronto Blue Jays
in six games. The latter loss was Toronto
's revenge for losing out to Atlanta for the 1996 Games two years earlier.) and winning once (1995
to the Cleveland Indians
in six games.). The Falcons would remain at Fulton County Stadium until the 1991 NFL season
, then move to the Georgia Dome the following season
where they have been as of 2010.
The Georgia Dome hosted Super Bowl XXVIII
where the Buffalo Bills
lost 30-13 to the Dallas Cowboys
. It was the Bills's second straight Super Bowl loss to the Cowboys and the Bills' fourth straight Super Bowl loss overall.
The same year that the Falcons debuted in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins
made their debut
in the American Football League
(AFL) at the Orange Bowl. The Dolphins would join the NFL in 1970 NFL season
following the AFL-NFL merger
. They would remain at the Orange Bowl until the 1987 NFL season
when they moved to Joe Robbie (now Sun Life) Stadium the following year
where they have remained as of 2010. Five of the first thirteen Super Bowl
s took place at the Orange Bowl, including Joe Namath
's New York Jets
defeating Johnny Unitas
's Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts
16-7 in Super Bowl III
.
Following the 1967-68 National Basketball Association (NBA) season
, the Hawks
franchise moved from St. Louis, Missouri
to Atlanta for the 1968-69 season
. The Hawks spent their first four seasons at Alexander Memorial Coliseum until construction at the Omni Coliseum
(known locally as The Omni) was completed in 1972. The same season
that the Hawks moved into the Omni also saw the debut
of the National Hockey League
Atlanta Flames
as cohabitants. The Flames would remain in Atlanta until the 1979-80 season
before moving up to Calgary, Alberta
, Canada
the following season
where they have remained as of 2010. For the 1980-81 to the 1982-83 NHL season
, the now-Calgary Flames
played in Stampede Corral
, then moved to the Olympic (now Scotiabank) Saddledome for the 1983-4 season
where they have played as of 2010. Both Stampede Corral and the Saddledome served as venues
for the Olympics
when Calgary hosted in 1988
. Other noted events hosted by The Omni were the 1977 NCAA Men's Final Four
, the 1978 NBA All-Star Game
, the 1988 Democratic National Convention
, and the 1993 Women's Final Four
.
For the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, RFK Stadium and the Citrus Bowl served as venues, including Round of 16 games. RFK Stadium's round of 16 game was between Spain
and Switzerland
, while the Citrus Bowl's was between the Republic of Ireland
and the Netherlands
.
Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Olympics at the 1990 International Olympic Committee
meeting in Tokyo
. Seventy-five percent of the existing sites used for the games were on property owned by the state of Georgia
. Fifty additional sites would be acquired to used for logisitical needs. Venue design lasted from July 1992 to the end of 1994 for new venues while construction lasted from 1993 to March 1996. Among the new venues constructed, expanded, or retrofitted were Olympic Stadium (known locally at the time of the 1996 Games as Centennial Olympic Stadium), the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers
(east of Atlanta), and the sailing (then yachting) venue at Wassaw Sound in Savannah
. The velodrome and archery venues at Stone Mountain Park were temporary venues for the Games.
Carl Lewis
win his fourth straight Olympic gold medal in the men's long jump. Lewis tied Al Oerter
, who won four straight Olympic gold medals in the men's discus throw
from 1956 to 1968
. Oerter, who carried the Olympic flame
into the Stadium during the Opening Ceremonies before handing it off to boxer Evander Holyfield
, embraced Lewis after his win.
Ocoee Whitewater Center on the Toccoa/Ocoee River
was dry until 1950 though it was redirected into the dry riverbed in 1994. Water was released for 77 days into the course for training, a pre-Olympic event, and the Olympics themselves.
Rain on the streets of Atlanta affected two of the four road cycling events. During the men's individual road time trial
event, the race was held in an intermittent rain that became a deluge with the middle starters that created up to 6 in (15.2 cm) of flooding in downtown Atlanta. It cleared up by the time the last ten riders started their runs. In the women's individual road race
, a downpour occurred midway through the event causing several racers to skid and fall as a result.
The Georgia International Horse Park (known locally as The Horse Park) had the endurance part of the eventing competition began at 7 AM EDT
to combat Georgia's torrid summer heat. Mesh protected unshaded parts of the course to filter out ultraviolet light and misting fans were used to cool the horses along with 80 veterinarian
s on site and three available equine ambulances. In the individual dressage event at The Horse Park, kür, or freestyle dressage to music, was added to the competition. Germany
Isabell Werth
on Gigolo
came from behind to win gold performing a medley that included "Just a Gigolo
" and Monty Python
's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
". Organizing issues in the modern pentathlon event affected spectators in their travels from downtown Atlanta to The Horse Park in Conyers 37 mi (59.5 km) away. This included lack of shuttle buses from parking to the competition sites 5 mi (8 km), forcing spectators to walk that distance. Modern pentathletes had to sit under one shady part of the oak tree during the riding portion of the event.
During the men's 10 m air pistol
shooting event at Wolf Creek, the ninth round of the final was halted when a fallen tree hit a power line and knocked out the electronic scoring system. The competition resumed after several minutes of delay. Italy
's Roberto Di Donna
came from behind to defeat China
's Wang Yifu
by 0.1 point. Wang collapsed in his chair and fainted suddenly. Strecther bearers had trouble finding the medical center, but Wang recovered to take place in the men's free pistol
event three days later.
Georgia World Congress Center witnessed two dramatic events. At the table tennis women's singles final on 31 July, a five game final between China's Deng Yaping
and Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan
/Republic of China
)'s Chen Jing
took place that had Deng leading 2-0 in the third game that was tied at 15 when a delay occurred. Taiwan was under IOC rules to compete as Chinese Taipei to appease the Chinese and could not use the national flag of Taiwan
. One fan in the stand displayed his own Taiwanese flag, resulting in police arriving to remove the fan. Another fan responded by puching a policeman in the mouth and both fans were removed. Chen won the third game when play resumed, then tied the final by winning game four. Deng won the deciding game decisively to win the gold medal. Nine days earlier in the men's 64 kg (featherweight)
weightlifting event, a battle between Turkey
's Naim Süleymanoğlu
and Greece
's Valerios Leonidis
had Greek fans sit on one side of the stands of the hall where the weightlifting events were held while the Turkish fans sit on the other side of the stands. The 2.5 hour final had the audience give both Süleymanoğlu and Leonidis standing ovations that was won by the Turk.
The Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, opened in 1977 as the Student Athletic Center. The venue was converted into the Aquatic Center for the 1996 Games. It was enclosed in 2004 and renamed the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center which is still in use as of 2010.
The temporary structures at Stone Mountain Park were removed after the 1996 Olympics. As of 2010, the former archery and track cycling venues are part of the songbird and habitat trail.
Lake Lanier hosted the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in 2003
, the only time they have ever been held in the United States
.
Atlanta Beach (now the Clayton County International Park
) and The Horse Park continue to be used as of 2010 in their local communities of Jonesboro
and Conyers, respectively.
The Hawks remained in The Omni for the 1996-97 NBA season
. Following that season, the Hawks moved back to Georgia Tech's Alexander Memorial Coliseum. On July 26, 1997, The Omni was imploded
to make way for a new arena for the Hawks and the NHL's expansion Thrashers
. Alexander Memorial Coliseum and the Georgia Dome both served as home for the Hawks for the 1997-98
and the 1998-99 seasons
while the new venue built on site of the former Omni was being constructed. Philips Arena
, the new arena, opened in September 1999 and the Hawks moved in. That same year, the Thrashers moved into Philips to join the NHL. Both teams continue to use Philips as of 2010.
The 1996
season would be the last one for the Braves at Fulton County Stadium. Fulton County Stadium played host to three games of the 1996 World Series
where the team lost to the New York Yankees
in six games. Fulton County Stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997 and is now a parking lot adjacent to the former Olympic Stadium.
Following the 1996 Summer Paralympics
, Olympic Stadium was retrofit
ted between September 1996 and April 1997 with the synthetic 400 m athletic track and 35,000 seats removed. The new venue, now called Turner Field
in honor of then-Braves owner and former Goodwill Games
founder Ted Turner
, opened on April 4, 1997 with a 5–4 win over the Chicago Cubs
. Turner Field hosted the 1999 World Series
(swept by the Yankees) and the 2000 MLB All-Star Game
.
The Georgia Dome hosted Super Bowl XXXIV
in 2000 when the St. Louis Rams
defeated the Tennessee Titans
23–16 in a game that came down to the final play. The venue also played host to the NCAA Men's Final Four in 2002
and 2007
, and will do so again in 2013
.
RFK Stadium has remained in use for (American) football, baseball, and soccer since the Games. In football, it hosted its last NFL game on December 22, 1996 with a 37-10 Redskins victory over the Dallas Cowboys
. The Redskins moved to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium
(FedExField since 2000) in Landover, Maryland
(east of Washington, DC) the following season
, making their debut at the stadium with a 19-13 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals
. Football would return to the stadium in 2008 with the debut of the EagleBank Bowl, a college football
bowl game
renamed the Military Bowl for 2010.
For the 2005 MLB season
, RFK was put into use once again as a baseball venue after the relocation of the Montreal Expos
to become the Washington Nationals
. The Expos left their previous home at Olympic Stadium
in Montreal
, a 1976 Summer Olympic venue
, after the 2004 season
. The Nationals made their debut at RFK a winning one, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks
5–3 on April 14, 2005. The Nationals' final game at RFK Stadium was on September 23, 2007 with a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies
. The team opened its 2008 season
in the new Nationals Park, also in the District, where it has remained ever since.
RFK Stadium has seen its most enduring post-Olympics use as a soccer venue. It has been home to the Major League Soccer
team D.C. United
since the league's creation in 1996, and also hosted the MLS All-Star Game
in 2002
and 2004
. The Washington Freedom
, a women's team originally in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association
(WUSA), played its home games at RFK during the league's entire existence from 2001 to 2003. In 2009, the WUSA would be effectively relaunched as Women's Professional Soccer
(WPS), with the Freedom returning as charter members and playing occasional home games at RFK. In the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, RFK Stadium hosted six games that included a 1–1 tie between Brazil
and France
. It has also hosted the USA men's national team
20 times, with the USA winning 12 of the matches—the most wins by the USA at any single stadium.
The Orange Bowl was demolished in 2008. It will be replaced by Miami Ballpark, a retractable-roof, baseball-only stadium that is scheduled for completion in 2012 as the new home of the MLB Florida Marlins
. Upon moving into the new stadium, the team will be rechristened as the Miami Marlins.
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, a total of twenty-nine sports venues were used. Several sports venues for the 1996 Olympics were built before the 1960s as college venues. The first professional teams in Atlanta came in 1966 with the MLB Braves and the NFL Falcons. In 1968, the Hawks came into Atlanta from St. Louis and had their venue at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Georgia Tech's campus before moving into the Omni Coliseum in 1972 with the NHL Flames. The Flames left for Calgary following the 1979-80 season. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium hosted the Falcons from 1966 to 1991 before moving to the Georgia Dome in 1992 though the Braves remained at the stadium from 1966 to 1996. In 1990, Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Olympics. Seventy-five percent of the venues used for the 1996 Games were owned by the state of Georgia. One of the new venues, the Georgia International Horse Park, had organization issues for the modern pentathlon event that included the modern pentathletes being forced to sit under a oak tree during the riding part of the event. The Georgia World Congress Center hosted the dramatic weightlifting 64 kg event that involved national tensions between Greece and Turkey. After the Olympics, Olympic Stadium was converted into a baseball park known as Turner Field which opened up in 1997. That same year, both Atlanta Fulton County Stadium and the Omni Coliseum were imploded. The Omni was replaced by Philips Arena which opened in 1999 while the area known as Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium is now a parking lot near Turner Field.
Olympic Ring
| Venue | Sports | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Memorial Coliseum Alexander Memorial Coliseum The Alexander Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia Tech and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999... |
Boxing Boxing at the 1996 Summer Olympics -Qualification:The following tournaments were used as qualification tournaments for boxing at the 1996 Summer Olympics.Africa* All-Africa Games in Harare, Zimbabwe from September 13 to September 23, 1995* Qualification Tournament in April/May? 1996... |
10,000 | |
| Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:... |
Baseball Baseball at the 1996 Summer Olympics Baseball had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, with games played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held,... |
54,000 | |
| Clark Atlanta University Stadium | Field hockey Field hockey at the 1996 Summer Olympics The Olympic Field Hockey Tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, was held in the Morris Brown College Stadium and Panther Stadium The event ran from Saturday July 20 to Friday August 2, 1996.-Men's tournament:GOLD Netherlands... |
5,000 | |
| Cycling road course | Cycling Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics Final results for the Cycling competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. There were three categories of events – road cycling, track cycling and mountain biking... (road) |
800 | |
| Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the... |
Basketball Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal... (final), Gymnastics Gymnastics at the 1996 Summer Olympics At the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Georgia Dome from July 20–25 and July 28–29. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at Stegeman Coliseum in nearby... (artistic), Handball Handball at the 1996 Summer Olympics Final results for the Handball competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics.-Medal summary:-References:*... (men's final) |
34,500 (each side) | |
| Georgia State University Gymnasium GSU Sports Arena The Georgia State University Sports Arena is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia State University and hosted the badminton competition of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Georgia State's women's volleyball team uses the facility as... |
Badminton Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics included the four events held at the previous Games as well as a fifth event: mixed doubles. An additional change to the tournament was the playoff game for the bronze medal rather than the awarding of two bronzes.The tournament was single-elimination... |
3,500 | |
| Georgia Tech Aquatic Center | Diving Diving at the 1996 Summer Olympics At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, four diving events were contested during a competition that took place at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, from 26 July to 2 August, comprising a total of 121 divers from 40 nations.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:... , Modern pentathlon Modern pentathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics Modern pentathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Team events were eliminated from the 1996 Olympics.-Medal Summary:Individual:-Final Results:-References:*... (swimming), Swimming Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics The swimming competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta, United States, which was built for the Games... , Synchronized swimming Synchronized swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics Final results for the synchronized swimming competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics.Previous Olympics had a Solo and Duet event but for the 1996 there would only be a team event... , Water polo Water polo at the 1996 Summer Olympics The men's water polo tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held from July 20 to July 28, 1996, in Atlanta, United States.-Group A:*Saturday July 20, 1996*Sunday July 21, 1996*Monday July 22, 1996*Tuesday July 23, 1996... |
15,000 | |
| Georgia World Congress Center Georgia World Congress Center The Georgia World Congress Center or GWCC is the major convention center in Atlanta. It is the fourth-largest convention center in the United States at 3.9 million ft2 and hosts more than a million visitors each year. At the time opened in 1976 the Georgia World Congress Center was the first state... |
Fencing Fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics -Men's events:-Women's events:-References:*... , Handball, Judo Judo at the 1996 Summer Olympics This page shows the final results of the Judo Competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.Kye Sun-Hui surprised spectators by winning gold in the women's extra-lightweight event. She had obtained a wildcard entry to the Games.-Men's events:... , Modern pentathlon (fencing, shooting), Table tennis Table tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics The table tennis competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics consisted of four events.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-Controversy:During the women's singles final match between the People's Republic of China and Chinese Taipei , police arrested two Taiwanese spectators for waving the flag of the Republic... , Weightlifting Weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics The weightlifting competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta consisted of ten weight classes, for men only. The range of each weight class was adjusted by 1–4 kg for these Games, marking the first redefinition of Olympic weightlifting weight classes since they were introduced in... , Wrestling Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics At the 1996 Summer Olympics, 2 different wrestling disciplines were contested: freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. The freestyle category was notable as it featured the gold medal performance of Kurt Angle, who later became a notable professional wrestler.-Freestyle:-Greco-Roman:-Medal... |
3,900 (fencing) 7,300 (handball) 7,300 (judo) 4,700 (table tennis) 5,000 (weightlifting) 7,300 (wrestling) |
|
| Marathon course | Athletics Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, 44 events in athletics were contested, 24 by men and 20 by women. There were a total number of 2053 participating athletes from 191 countries.-Men:... (marathon) |
800 | |
| Morehouse College Gymnasium Forbes Arena The Forbes Arena is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers basketball team. It also hosted basketball preliminaries during the 1996 Summer Olympics and was the home arena to the Atlanta Glory. It was opened in 1996 at a cost of... |
Basketball | 6,500 | |
| Morris Brown College Stadium Herndon Stadium Alonzo Herndon Stadium, named for Alonzo Herndon, is a 15,011-seat stadium on the campus of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the only two-sided stadium in the Atlanta University Center. It is one block over from the locally known Herndon Home, and sits above the MARTA... |
Field hockey (final) | 15,000 | |
| Olympic Stadium Centennial Olympic Stadium Centennial Olympic Stadium was the 85,000-seat main stadium of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Construction of the stadium began in 1993, and it was complete and ready for the Opening Ceremony in July 1996, where it hosted track and field events and the closing ceremony... |
Athletics, Ceremonies (opening/ closing) | 85,600 | |
| Omni Coliseum Omni Coliseum The Omni Coliseum, usually called The Omni, from the Latin for "all," or "every," was an indoor arena, located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378, for basketball and 15,278, for ice hockey... |
Volleyball Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics featured beach volleyball for the first time as the official Olympic sport.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-External links:*... (indoor final) |
16,500 | |
| Walking course | Athletics (walks) | 800 |
Metro Atlanta
| Venue | Sports | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Beach Clayton County International Park Clayton County International Park is a park located in Clayton County, Georgia, United States, in Jonesboro, south of Atlanta. Built for the beach volleyball competition for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the main venue is part of the Lakeview View Complex which is used for concerts.The area surrounding... |
Volleyball (beach) | 12,600 | |
| Georgia International Horse Park Georgia International Horse Park The Georgia International Horse Park is located in Conyers, Georgia, United States, 30 miles east of Atlanta.-History:... |
Cycling (mountain bike), Equestrian Equestrian at the 1996 Summer Olympics The Equestrian events were held at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, United States, -Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*... , Modern pentathlon (riding, running) |
32,000 | |
| Lake Lanier Lake Lanier Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses of water, and of shoreline at normal level, a "full... |
Canoeing Canoeing at the 1996 Summer Olympics The canoeing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was composed of 16 events in two disciplines, slalom and sprint... (sprint), Rowing Rowing at the 1996 Summer Olympics Taking place at Lake Lanier, Georgia, United States, the 1996 Summer Olympics saw the debut of lightweight rowing events. The three included replaced the remaining coxed events for men and the Women's Coxless Four... |
17,300 | |
| Stone Mountain Park Archery Center and Velodrome Stone Mountain Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock in Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet amsl and 825 feet above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain granite extends underground at its longest point into Gwinnett County... |
Archery Archery at the 1996 Summer Olympics Archery at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta consisted of four events. The events were held in neighboring Stone Mountain.All archery was done at a range of 70 metres. 64 archers competed in each the men's individual and women's individual competitions. They began with a 72-arrow ranking round... , Cycling (track) |
5,200 (archery) 6,000 (cycling track) |
|
| Stone Mountain Tennis Center Stone Mountain Tennis Center The Stone Mountain Tennis Center was a tennis venue at Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA. It was built to host the tennis events for the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Paralympics, at a total cost of $22 million... |
Tennis Tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the host nation United States won 3 of the 4 gold medals in tennis. For the first time at the Olympics, a single bronze medal was awarded in each event.-Medal table:-Events:-References:*... |
27,500 | |
| Wolf Creek Shooting Complex Wolf Creek Shooting Complex The Wolf Creek Shooting Complex, now known as the Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds, is a firing range located southwest of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, in Fulton County. During the 1996 Summer Olympics, it hosted the shooting event... |
Shooting Shooting at the 1996 Summer Olympics The shooting competitions at the 1996 Summer Olympics took place at the Wolf Creek Shooting Complex near Atlanta, United States. Competitions were held in ten men's events and five women's events... |
7,500 |
Other venues
| Venue | Sports | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Citrus Bowl Citrus Bowl The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people.... |
Football | 65,000 | |
| Golden Park Golden Park Golden Park is a 5,000-seat baseball-only stadium in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1926. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus, it currently is not home to any professional baseball team... |
Softball Softball at the 1996 Summer Olympics Softball made its first appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The competition was held at historic Golden Park in Columbus, Georgia. Final results for the Softball competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics:-Medal summary:... |
8,800 | |
| Legion Field Legion Field Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak... |
Football | 81,700 | |
| Ocoee Whitewater Center Ocoee Whitewater Center The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Olympic race course was built in the dry riverbed of the Upper Ocoee river. The Upper Ocoee is the section between Ocoee Dam #3 and its downstream... |
Canoeing (slalom) | 14,400 | |
| Orange Bowl Miami Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team... |
Football | 72,700 | |
| RFK Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United.... |
Football | 56,500 | |
| Sanford Stadium Sanford Stadium Sanford Stadium is the on-campus playing venue for football at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. The 92,746-seat stadium is the seventh largest stadium in the NCAA. Architecturally, the stadium is known for the fact that its numerous expansions over the years have been... |
Football (final) | 86,100 | |
| University of Georgia Coliseum Stegeman Coliseum Stegeman Coliseum is a 10,523-seat multi-purpose arena in Athens, Georgia, United States. The arena opened in 1964. It is home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs basketball and gymnastics teams. It was also the venue of the rhythmic gymnastics and preliminary indoor volleyball matches during the... |
Gymnastics (rhythmic), Volleyball (indoor) | 10,000 | |
| Wassaw Sound Wassaw Sound Wassaw Sound is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Georgia, United States near Savannah where which the Wilmington River flows.-American Civil War naval battle:... |
Sailing Sailing at the 1996 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
1,000 |
Before the Olympics
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in the 1960s, college sports were followed in a manner similar to that of professional sports in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
, and Midwestern part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The oldest of the venues in the South used for the 1996 Games was Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
which was opened in 1926 and used from 1948 to 1988 for the Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
rivalry between Auburn University
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
and the University of Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, a game that now alternates between the two schools' on-campus stadiums. Legion Field hosted the SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
for the first two seasons of 1992
1992 SEC Championship Game
The 1992 SEC Championship Game was played on December 5, 1992 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was the inaugural championship game and determined the 1992 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The Alabama Crimson Tide, winners of the Western division of the SEC,...
and 1993
1993 SEC Championship Game
The 1993 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 28-13 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama on December 4, 1993 and was televised to a national audience on ABC....
before the venue moved to Atlanta and the Georgia Dome in 1994
1994 SEC Championship Game
The 1994 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 24-23 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 1994 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:*...
where it has remained as of 2010
2010 SEC Championship Game
The 2010 SEC Championship Game was played on December 4, 2010, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the 2010 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The game featured the Auburn Tigers, the champion of the West Division, and the South Carolina Gamecocks, champion of the...
. Three years after Legion Field was completed, Sanford Stadium opened on the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
campus in Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
and has undergone several expansions since its opening. The Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
opened in 1936 and has undergone several expansions of its own. In Miami the following year, the Orange Bowl (known as Burdine Stadium until 1959) opened. Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
(Georgia Tech) campus opened in 1956.
In 1961, the District of Columbia Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
opened in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) Washington Redskins
1961 Washington Redskins season
The 1961 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 1-9-2 record from 1960. However, their 1-12-1 performance during the season placed the Redskins in last-place in the NFL Eastern Conference...
losing 24-21 to the New York Giants
1961 New York Giants season
The 1961 New York Giants season was the 37th season for the club in the National Football League. After relinquishing the NFL East title the previous season, the Giants reclaimed the title with a 10–3–1 record, only to lose to the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship...
. The Stadium (renamed as Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium in 1969 in honor of Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
who had been assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy assassination
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
the previous June) served as home to the second Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) team from 1961
1961 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season was a season in American baseball. The team was in its inaugural season, having been established as a replacement for the previous franchise of the same name, which relocated to the Twin Cities of Minnesota following the 1960 season, becoming the Minnesota Twins...
to 1971
1971 Washington Senators season
The 1971 Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing fifth in the American League East with a record of 63 wins and 96 losses. This was the Senators' 11th and last season in Washington, D.C., as they moved to Arlington, Texas the following season, becoming the Texas Rangers...
when they moved to the Dallas, Texas
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
area the following year
1972 Major League Baseball season
The 1972 Major League Baseball season was the first to have games cancelled by a player strike. It was also the last season in which American League pitchers would hit for themselves on a regular basis; the designated hitter rule would go into effect the following season.-Labor strife and more...
and were renamed the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
which they have been known as of 2010 (The first Senators team
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
were in Washington from 1901
1901 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:* American League: Chicago White Stockings* National League: Pittsburgh PiratesWorld Series: Not played due to AL-NL war over player contracts.-Other champions:* Minor leagues** California League: San Francisco Wasps...
to 1960
1960 Major League Baseball season
The 1960 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. It was also the final season that a 154-game schedule was played in both the AL and the NL, before the AL began using the 162-game schedule the following season, with the NL following suit in .-Awards and...
before relocating to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1961 and being renamed the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
where they have been known as of 2010.).
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta Stadium: 1965-76) opened on April 12, 1966 with the Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
MLB franchise debuting
1966 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves season was the first for the franchise in Atlanta, following their relocation from Milwaukee, where the team had played the previous 13 seasons. The Braves finished their inaugural year in Atlanta in fifth place in the National League with a record of 85-77, ten games behind the...
following their move from Milwaukee, Wisconsin after the 1965 season
1965 Milwaukee Braves season
The Milwaukee Braves season was the 13th and final season for the franchise in Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta for the following season. The Braves finished the season with a record of 86-76, 11 games behind the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers...
with a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates
1966 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates season involved the team's third-place finish in the National League at 92-70, three games behind the NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :* November 22, 1965: Bill Virdon was released by the Pirates....
. That same year
1966 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1966 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcon's inaugural season.- Offseason :The Falcons attempted to acquire Green Bay Packers running back Jim Taylor. There were tensions in Green Bay because the Packers first round pick, Jim Grabowski would be groomed to take over for Taylor...
in the NFL, the expansion Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
debuted with a 19-14 loss to the Los Angeles (now St. Louis) Rams
1966 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1966 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 29th year with the National Football League and the 21st season in Los Angeles.It was the Rams' first winning season since 1955, the year the Rams went all the way to the NFL Championship Game, 1955....
. Fulton County Stadium (known locally) would serve as host to the Peach (now Chick-fil-A) Bowl
Chick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
from 1971 to 1991 before moving to the Georgia Dome where it has remained as of 2010. In baseball, Fulton County Stadium hosted the 1972 MLB All-Star Game
1972 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1972 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the 43rd such game, was played on July 25, 1972. The all-stars from the American League and the National League faced each other at Atlanta Stadium, home of the Atlanta Braves...
. The Stadium would host three World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in the 1990s before the Olympics, losing twice (1991
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
to the Twins in seven games and 1992
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in six games. The latter loss was Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's revenge for losing out to Atlanta for the 1996 Games two years earlier.) and winning once (1995
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in six games.). The Falcons would remain at Fulton County Stadium until the 1991 NFL season
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, then move to the Georgia Dome the following season
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
where they have been as of 2010.
The Georgia Dome hosted Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
where the Buffalo Bills
1993 Buffalo Bills season
The 1993 Buffalo Bills season was the 34th season for the Buffalo, New York team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1993 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses, and finished first in the AFC East division. The Bills qualified for their...
lost 30-13 to the Dallas Cowboys
1993 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1993 Dallas Cowboys season marked their 34th in the NFL and a quest for back-to-back Super Bowl titles. The season saw the franchise become the first team to start 0–2 and still reach the Super Bowl.-Regular season:...
. It was the Bills's second straight Super Bowl loss to the Cowboys and the Bills' fourth straight Super Bowl loss overall.
The same year that the Falcons debuted in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
made their debut
1966 Miami Dolphins season
The 1966 season was the Miami Dolphins inaugural season in the AFL. Future Harlem Globetrotters and Montreal Canadiens owner George N. Gillett, Jr. was a minority partner in the Miami Dolphins. -AFL Draft:...
in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) at the Orange Bowl. The Dolphins would join the NFL in 1970 NFL season
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
following the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. They would remain at the Orange Bowl until the 1987 NFL season
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
when they moved to Joe Robbie (now Sun Life) Stadium the following year
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
where they have remained as of 2010. Five of the first thirteen Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s took place at the Orange Bowl, including Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
's New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeating Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
's Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
16-7 in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
.
Following the 1967-68 National Basketball Association (NBA) season
1967-68 NBA season
The 1967–68 NBA season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
, the Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
franchise moved from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to Atlanta for the 1968-69 season
1968-69 NBA season
The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
. The Hawks spent their first four seasons at Alexander Memorial Coliseum until construction at the Omni Coliseum
Omni Coliseum
The Omni Coliseum, usually called The Omni, from the Latin for "all," or "every," was an indoor arena, located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378, for basketball and 15,278, for ice hockey...
(known locally as The Omni) was completed in 1972. The same season
1972-73 NBA season
The 1972–73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
that the Hawks moved into the Omni also saw the debut
1972-73 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:-Leading goaltenders:Note: GP = Games played; Min - Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts-Debuts:...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
as cohabitants. The Flames would remain in Atlanta until the 1979-80 season
1979-80 NHL season
The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers , and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total...
before moving up to Calgary, Alberta
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the following season
1980-81 NHL season
The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. This was the first season that the Calgary Flames played in Calgary, Alberta. Previously, they were the Atlanta Flames and played in Atlanta, Georgia. The New York Islanders won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating...
where they have remained as of 2010. For the 1980-81 to the 1982-83 NHL season
1982-83 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL.-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = PointsSource: NHL.-Leading goaltenders:...
, the now-Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
played in Stampede Corral
Stampede Corral
The Stampede Corral is an ice hockey, rodeo, and Davis Cup tennis arena venue in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million to replace Victoria Arena as the home of the Calgary Stampeders Hockey Club...
, then moved to the Olympic (now Scotiabank) Saddledome for the 1983-4 season
1983-84 NHL season
The 1983–84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers de-throned the four-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders four games to one in the Cup finals.-League business:...
where they have played as of 2010. Both Stampede Corral and the Saddledome served as venues
Venues of the 1988 Winter Olympics
For the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a total of nine sports venues were used. Calgary tried twice to host the Winter Olympics in the 1960s without success before finally winning the 1988 Winter Games in 1981. Stampede Corral was built in 1950 while McMahon Stadium was built in...
for the Olympics
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
when Calgary hosted in 1988
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. Other noted events hosted by The Omni were the 1977 NCAA Men's Final Four
1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 American schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the National Champion of Men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1977, and ended with the championship game on March 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. A...
, the 1978 NBA All-Star Game
1978 NBA All-Star Game
GAME 28: at Atlanta, Feb. 5, 1978MVP: Randy SmithCoaches: East: Billy Cunningham, West: Jack Ramsay.-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by periods: *Halftime— West, 66-57*Third Quarter— West, 100-92...
, the 1988 Democratic National Convention
1988 Democratic National Convention
The 1988 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18–July 21, 1988 to select a candidate for the 1988 United States presidential election. At the convention Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts was nominated for President and...
, and the 1993 Women's Final Four
1993 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Iowa City, IA:-Midwest Regional - Nacogdoches, TX:-West Regional - Missoula, MT:-Final Four - Atlanta, GA:...
.
For the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, RFK Stadium and the Citrus Bowl served as venues, including Round of 16 games. RFK Stadium's round of 16 game was between Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, while the Citrus Bowl's was between the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
and the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
.
Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Olympics at the 1990 International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
meeting in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Seventy-five percent of the existing sites used for the games were on property owned by the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Fifty additional sites would be acquired to used for logisitical needs. Venue design lasted from July 1992 to the end of 1994 for new venues while construction lasted from 1993 to March 1996. Among the new venues constructed, expanded, or retrofitted were Olympic Stadium (known locally at the time of the 1996 Games as Centennial Olympic Stadium), the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers
Conyers, Georgia
Conyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, USA. It is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,689. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,205. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. By 2009, the reported population was...
(east of Atlanta), and the sailing (then yachting) venue at Wassaw Sound in Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. The velodrome and archery venues at Stone Mountain Park were temporary venues for the Games.
During the Olympics
Olympic Stadium witnessed AmericanUnited States at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The United States was the host nation for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.- Gold:* Justin Huish — Archery, Men's Individual Competition* Justin Huish, Richard Johnson, and Rod White — Archery, Men's Team Competition...
Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
win his fourth straight Olympic gold medal in the men's long jump. Lewis tied Al Oerter
Al Oerter
Alfred Adolf Oerter, Jr. was an American athlete, and a four-time Olympic Champion in the discus throw....
, who won four straight Olympic gold medals in the men's discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
from 1956 to 1968
Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 36 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 12 for women. There were a total number of 1031 participating athletes from 93 countries....
. Oerter, who carried the Olympic flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
into the Stadium during the Opening Ceremonies before handing it off to boxer Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
, embraced Lewis after his win.
Ocoee Whitewater Center on the Toccoa/Ocoee River
Toccoa/Ocoee River
The Toccoa River and Ocoee River are actually a single river that flows northwestward through the southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States...
was dry until 1950 though it was redirected into the dry riverbed in 1994. Water was released for 77 days into the course for training, a pre-Olympic event, and the Olympics themselves.
Rain on the streets of Atlanta affected two of the four road cycling events. During the men's individual road time trial
Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's time trial
These are the official results of the Men's Individual Time Trial at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a total number of 40 participants, with two non-startes and one non-finisher, in this inaugural Olympic event over 52 kilometres, held on Saturday August 3, 1996.-Final...
event, the race was held in an intermittent rain that became a deluge with the middle starters that created up to 6 in (15.2 cm) of flooding in downtown Atlanta. It cleared up by the time the last ten riders started their runs. In the women's individual road race
Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's road race
These are the official results of the Women's Individual Road Race at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, held on July 21, 1996. There were 58 participants in the race over 104 km, with fifteen cyclists who did not finish....
, a downpour occurred midway through the event causing several racers to skid and fall as a result.
The Georgia International Horse Park (known locally as The Horse Park) had the endurance part of the eventing competition began at 7 AM EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
to combat Georgia's torrid summer heat. Mesh protected unshaded parts of the course to filter out ultraviolet light and misting fans were used to cool the horses along with 80 veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
s on site and three available equine ambulances. In the individual dressage event at The Horse Park, kür, or freestyle dressage to music, was added to the competition. Germany
Germany at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Germany competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.- Gold:* Lars Riedel — Athletics, Men's Discus Throw* Astrid Kumbernuss — Athletics, Women's Shot Put* Ilke Wyludda — Athletics, Women's Discus Throw...
Isabell Werth
Isabell Werth
Isebell Werth is a German equestrian and world champion in dressage.-Championships:...
on Gigolo
Gigolo FRH
Gigolo FRH was a liver chestnut Hanoverian gelding. Ridden by Isabell Werth in dressage competitions, the pair won four gold and two silver medals at Olympic games, four world championships, eight European championships, and four German championships.- External links :*...
came from behind to win gold performing a medley that included "Just a Gigolo
Just a Gigolo (song)
"Just a Gigolo" is a popular song, adapted by Irving Caesar in 1929 from the Austrian song "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo", written in 1928 by Leonello Casucci and Julius Brammer .-History:...
" and Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a popular song written by Eric Idle that was originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.-History:Whilst trying to come up...
". Organizing issues in the modern pentathlon event affected spectators in their travels from downtown Atlanta to The Horse Park in Conyers 37 mi (59.5 km) away. This included lack of shuttle buses from parking to the competition sites 5 mi (8 km), forcing spectators to walk that distance. Modern pentathletes had to sit under one shady part of the oak tree during the riding portion of the event.
During the men's 10 m air pistol
Shooting at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre air pistol
Men's 10 metre air pistol was one of the fifteen shooting events at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The defending champion, Wang Yifu, set an Olympic record of 587 points in the qualification round, taking a two-point lead. His lead increased during the final up to the last shot, where he scored a mere...
shooting event at Wolf Creek, the ninth round of the final was halted when a fallen tree hit a power line and knocked out the electronic scoring system. The competition resumed after several minutes of delay. Italy
Italy at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Italy competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.- Gold:* Antonio Rossi — Canoeing, Men's K1 500 metres Kayak Singles* Antonio Rossi and Daniele Scarpa — Canoeing, Men's K2 1.000 metres Kayak Pairs...
's Roberto Di Donna
Roberto Di Donna
Roberto Di Donna is an Italian sports shooter and Olympic champion. He received a gold medal in 10 metre air pistol at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.-References:...
came from behind to defeat China
China at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The People's Republic of China competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.-Medalists:-Archery:The People's Republic of China sent three men and three women to Atlanta for archery. As usual, the Chinese women were the more successful squad, with He Ying winning a silver medal...
's Wang Yifu
Wang Yifu
Wang Yifu is a male Chinese pistol shooter, and in terms of Olympic medals one of the most successful sport shooters of all times. He specializes in the 50 m Pistol and 10 m Air Pistol events....
by 0.1 point. Wang collapsed in his chair and fainted suddenly. Strecther bearers had trouble finding the medical center, but Wang recovered to take place in the men's free pistol
Shooting at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 50 metre pistol
Men's 50 metre pistol was one of the fifteen shooting events at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The first time decimals were used in the 50 metre pistol finals, Boris Kokorev set a new Olympic record after scoring 570 points in the qualification round and 96.4 in the final, where places 2 through 5 were...
event three days later.
Georgia World Congress Center witnessed two dramatic events. At the table tennis women's singles final on 31 July, a five game final between China's Deng Yaping
Deng Yaping
Deng Yaping is a Chinese table tennis player, who won six world championships and four Olympic championships between 1989 and 1997...
and Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The Republic of China competed as Chinese Taipei at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.The change in name was due to the political status of Taiwan. In addition, they flew a flag especially designed for the games separate from the flag of the Republic of China...
(Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
/Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
)'s Chen Jing
Chen Jing
Chen Jing is a table tennis player and Olympic champion for China, and later Olympic medalist for Chinese Taipei.She received a golden medal in singles and a silver medal in doubles at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul....
took place that had Deng leading 2-0 in the third game that was tied at 15 when a delay occurred. Taiwan was under IOC rules to compete as Chinese Taipei to appease the Chinese and could not use the national flag of Taiwan
Flag of the Republic of China
The Flag of the Republic of China is red with a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. In Chinese, the flag is commonly described as Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth to reflect its attributes....
. One fan in the stand displayed his own Taiwanese flag, resulting in police arriving to remove the fan. Another fan responded by puching a policeman in the mouth and both fans were removed. Chen won the third game when play resumed, then tied the final by winning game four. Deng won the deciding game decisively to win the gold medal. Nine days earlier in the men's 64 kg (featherweight)
Weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 64 kg
These are the results of the men's 64 kg competition in weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. A total of 36 men competed in this event, limited to weightlifters whose body weight was less than 64 kilograms....
weightlifting event, a battle between Turkey
Turkey at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Turkey competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.-Medalists:-Archery:In its fourth Olympic archery competition, Turkey's women nearly earned two medals. Elif Altankaynak made it to the semifinals in the individual competition, and the women's team made it there in the team round...
's Naim Süleymanoğlu
Naim Süleymanoglu
Naim Süleymanoğlu , formerly known as Naim Suleimanov , is a Turkish World and Olympic Champion in weightlifting...
and Greece
Greece at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Greece competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. Greek athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games.-Medalists:Greece finished in 16th position in the final medal rankings, with four gold medals and four silver medals....
's Valerios Leonidis
Valerios Leonidis
Valerios Leonidis is a Greek weightlifter. He has three silver and one bronze Olympic and World Championship medals. He has competed in different weight classes from 60 kg to 69 kg....
had Greek fans sit on one side of the stands of the hall where the weightlifting events were held while the Turkish fans sit on the other side of the stands. The 2.5 hour final had the audience give both Süleymanoğlu and Leonidis standing ovations that was won by the Turk.
After the Olympics
The Georgia World Congress Center, first opened in 1976 and expanded twice before the 1996 Olympics, was expanded again in 2002. As of 2010, the three buildings containing the twelve total exhibit halls had a total of 1366000 sq ft (126,905.6 m²).The Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, opened in 1977 as the Student Athletic Center. The venue was converted into the Aquatic Center for the 1996 Games. It was enclosed in 2004 and renamed the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center which is still in use as of 2010.
The temporary structures at Stone Mountain Park were removed after the 1996 Olympics. As of 2010, the former archery and track cycling venues are part of the songbird and habitat trail.
Lake Lanier hosted the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in 2003
2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held September 10–14, 2003 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States at Lake Lanier. Located north of Atlanta, this was also where the canoe sprint and rowing events for the 1996 Summer Olympics took place....
, the only time they have ever been held in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Atlanta Beach (now the Clayton County International Park
Clayton County International Park
Clayton County International Park is a park located in Clayton County, Georgia, United States, in Jonesboro, south of Atlanta. Built for the beach volleyball competition for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the main venue is part of the Lakeview View Complex which is used for concerts.The area surrounding...
) and The Horse Park continue to be used as of 2010 in their local communities of Jonesboro
Jonesboro, Georgia
Jonesboro is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,724 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clayton County....
and Conyers, respectively.
The Hawks remained in The Omni for the 1996-97 NBA season
1996-97 NBA season
The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season of the National Basketball Association . The league used this season to mark its 50th anniversary, which included the unveiling of the league's list of its 50 greatest players...
. Following that season, the Hawks moved back to Georgia Tech's Alexander Memorial Coliseum. On July 26, 1997, The Omni was imploded
Building implosion
In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings...
to make way for a new arena for the Hawks and the NHL's expansion Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. Alexander Memorial Coliseum and the Georgia Dome both served as home for the Hawks for the 1997-98
1997-98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...
and the 1998-99 seasons
1998-99 NBA season
The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association . Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999 after a new six year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association...
while the new venue built on site of the former Omni was being constructed. Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
, the new arena, opened in September 1999 and the Hawks moved in. That same year, the Thrashers moved into Philips to join the NHL. Both teams continue to use Philips as of 2010.
The 1996
1996 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:* January 3, 1996: Jerome Walton was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.* January 9, 1996: Mike Kelly was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later and Chad Fox...
season would be the last one for the Braves at Fulton County Stadium. Fulton County Stadium played host to three games of the 1996 World Series
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
where the team lost to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in six games. Fulton County Stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997 and is now a parking lot adjacent to the former Olympic Stadium.
Following the 1996 Summer Paralympics
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
, Olympic Stadium was retrofit
Retrofit
Retrofitting refers to the addition of new technology or features to older systems.* power plant retrofit, improving power plant efficiency / increasing output / reducing emissions...
ted between September 1996 and April 1997 with the synthetic 400 m athletic track and 35,000 seats removed. The new venue, now called Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
in honor of then-Braves owner and former Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
founder Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
, opened on April 4, 1997 with a 5–4 win over the Chicago Cubs
1997 Chicago Cubs season
The 1997 Chicago Cubs season was one of little success for the team. The Cubs never had a record above .500 at any point during the season, and finished last in their division. The season is probably best remembered for the miserable way in which the team began the season, losing their first 14...
. Turner Field hosted the 1999 World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
(swept by the Yankees) and the 2000 MLB All-Star Game
2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 71st playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
.
The Georgia Dome hosted Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
in 2000 when the St. Louis Rams
1999 St. Louis Rams season
The 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13-3, and the NFC West Championship. The Rams were undefeated at home for the first time since 1973. On the...
defeated the Tennessee Titans
1999 Tennessee Titans season
The 1999 Tennessee Titans season was the Titans' 40th season and their 30th in the National Football League. It was the first season for the club under the moniker "Titans," while the nickname "Oilers" was retired by the NFL...
23–16 in a game that came down to the final play. The venue also played host to the NCAA Men's Final Four in 2002
2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia...
and 2007
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
, and will do so again in 2013
2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament will involve 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It is scheduled to begin on March 19, 2013 and will conclude with the championship game on April 8 at...
.
RFK Stadium has remained in use for (American) football, baseball, and soccer since the Games. In football, it hosted its last NFL game on December 22, 1996 with a 37-10 Redskins victory over the Dallas Cowboys
1996 Dallas Cowboys season
-Regular season:Against the Chicago Bears in week one, running back Emmitt Smith would leave the game late with an injury that left him temporary paralyzed. Though not career-threatening, Smith's injury would hamper his effectiveness for the duration of the season...
. The Redskins moved to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium
FedExField
FedExField is a football stadium located in an unincorporated area near the Capital Beltway in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, near the site of the old Capital Centre . FedExField is the home of the Washington Redskins football team...
(FedExField since 2000) in Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
(east of Washington, DC) the following season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, making their debut at the stadium with a 19-13 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals
1997 Arizona Cardinals season
The 1997 Arizona Cardinals season was the 78th season the franchise was in the National Football League and 10th in Arizona. The team was unable to match their previous output of 7-9, instead winning only four games. The Cardinals failed to qualify to the playoffs for the fifteenth consecutive...
. Football would return to the stadium in 2008 with the debut of the EagleBank Bowl, a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
renamed the Military Bowl for 2010.
For the 2005 MLB season
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, RFK was put into use once again as a baseball venue after the relocation of the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
to become the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. The Expos left their previous home at Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, a 1976 Summer Olympic venue
Venues of the 1976 Summer Olympics
For the 1976 Summer Olympics, a total of twenty-seven sports venues were used. Several venues used had been in existence before Montreal made its first Olympic bid in the late 1930s. By the 1950s, Montreal's bid for the Olympics shifted from Winter to Summer before it was finally awarded the 1976...
, after the 2004 season
2004 Montreal Expos season
In 2004, the Montreal Expos played their 36th and final season in Montreal. The team finished in fifth and last place in the National League East at 67-95, 29 games behind the Atlanta Braves...
. The Nationals made their debut at RFK a winning one, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks
2005 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The 2005 Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team looked to improve on their 51-111 record from 2004. They looked to contend in what was once again a weak National League West Division...
5–3 on April 14, 2005. The Nationals' final game at RFK Stadium was on September 23, 2007 with a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies
2007 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2007 season began with the Phillies approaching an historic mark. The Phillies started the year with an MLB-record 9,955 losses in franchise history. On July 15, they lost their 10,000th game to the St. Louis Cardinals...
. The team opened its 2008 season
2008 Washington Nationals season
The Washington Nationals' 2008 season was the 4th season for the franchise in the District of Columbia, and the 40th since the original team was started in Montreal, Quebec, in . It also marked the first season the Nationals played at Nationals Park.-March:...
in the new Nationals Park, also in the District, where it has remained ever since.
RFK Stadium has seen its most enduring post-Olympics use as a soccer venue. It has been home to the Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
since the league's creation in 1996, and also hosted the MLS All-Star Game
Major League Soccer All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
in 2002
MLS All-Star 2002
-External links:**...
and 2004
MLS All-Star 2004
The 2004 Sierra Mist Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 9th MLS All-Star Game, played on July 31, 2004 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. between the Eastern Conference All-Stars and Western Conference All-Stars. The Eastern Conference earned the victory after a hard-fought 3-2 win over the...
. The Washington Freedom
Washington Freedom
The Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Germantown, Maryland that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was originally founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Since 2004, the...
, a women's team originally in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association
Women's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association, often abbreviated to the WUSA, was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States...
(WUSA), played its home games at RFK during the league's entire existence from 2001 to 2003. In 2009, the WUSA would be effectively relaunched as Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
(WPS), with the Freedom returning as charter members and playing occasional home games at RFK. In the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, RFK Stadium hosted six games that included a 1–1 tie between Brazil
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
and France
France women's national football team
The French women's national football team represents France in international women's football. The team is directed by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football tournaments such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, the Summer...
. It has also hosted the USA men's national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
20 times, with the USA winning 12 of the matches—the most wins by the USA at any single stadium.
The Orange Bowl was demolished in 2008. It will be replaced by Miami Ballpark, a retractable-roof, baseball-only stadium that is scheduled for completion in 2012 as the new home of the MLB Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. Upon moving into the new stadium, the team will be rechristened as the Miami Marlins.